Part 2, How to create perfect fitting fine silver metal clay caps for crystals and other treasures
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- Опубликовано: 30 авг 2022
- It is absolutely possible to make perfectly fitting metal clay caps for crystals and other treasures and I've created a method for doing just that.
In Part 1, I shared how to create a core of Creative PaperClay that retards the shrinkage of the metal clay.You can see that here: • How to create perfect ...
Now, in Part 2, I share how I form the fine silver metal clay over that core, repair forming/firing mistakes and secure the crystals inside the finished caps.
This method works for base metal clays as well.
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Links for things I use:
Rubber stamp sheets, www.readystamps.org/
Creative PaperClay, amzn.to/3pWoqgb
Art Resin, amzn.to/3pYr8So
Tumbling media, honeandhighlight.com/collecti...
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#pmc #crystals #talismans 
Хобби
I love this so much❤ I miss my people. We moved from our home of 20 hrs to a totally new area, same state, but 2 yrs and I still can't find a tribe. Your energy and intention while making your beautiful creations is such a blessing❤ thank you so much for sharing ALL of your process❤I pray for blessings on you and your family❤
I’m so glad you enjoyed my video! And I totally understand. We live in one area, but our tribe is an hour away in a much more expensive town. It’s a challenge for sure. Best of luck, blessings and all good things! 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you so much! How kind you are to share your knowledge xo
My pleasure! 🙏🙏🙏
This is soooo inspireing, thank you so much for sharing!
Gorgeous! 🐢
Thank you!!! 🙏
Beautiful work true feelings feeling for your art work 😊
Thank you! 🙏🙏🙏
Just gorgeous! 😍 I love the organic nature of your pieces. Thank you so much for sharing your technique. Also, the sound of the singing bowl at the beginning of the video is lovely. Very calming. 🎶 😌
Thanks so much for stopping by and saying HI. Setting the right 'tone' for this work is essential! 💙🙏
I'm just in awe of you...thank you so much for sharing part of you with us! I'm inspired and moved beyond words.
Golly … thank you so much. Very honored that what I do resonates with folks … 🙏💙
Those are beautiful. Thank you for sharing your technique.
They are absolutely stunning. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you!
Thank you for taking your time to educate!!!
You are ever so welcome! Hope it helps ... 🙏
They are indeed lovely! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment. Again, apologies for somehow having missed these!
Just came across this page, very cool! Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful pieces. Thank you so much for sharing your years of experience x
You are ever so welcome! 🙏
Just gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your secret.
Thank you! And you are ever so welcome ... good luck trying it own your own! 🙏
Thank you very much for sharing. Your art is beautiful!!!
Thank you so much! 🙏
This helped so much! Thank you!
Yay! Thanks for letting me know! 🙏
Thank you for showing us your setting method! I really like how you started off with blessing the stones and your bench with the singing bowl 💓💎
Thanks for watching! I do feel like creating the Talismans is sacred work and give them all the positive juju I can muster!
Very interesting - thanks for sharing
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it … 🙏
Amazing work, impeccable care and attention to detail. Thank you for sharing!
Ever so kind … deep gratitude … 🙏🙏🙏
Wow, love your video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Very much my pleasure! Thanks for stopping by to say HI ... 🙏
Thank you so much for sharing your custom-fit silver clay caps technique! Although my style is very different and I don’t work with raw crystals, I can definitely envision adding silver caps to other irregularly shaped treasures using this approach.
Yay, exactly my intention ... good luck!
Fantastic, thanks so much for the help they looked awesome 😁
Excellent! Thank you!
This is so beautiful ❤ thank you for a great class 😍💕
You are ever so welcome! Hope it's helpful ... 🙏
Smooshing is indeed a technical term!
I'm not usually so attracted to raw crystals, but your pieces are absolutely lovely! I've thought about using bezel wire as a base to which I could add sculptural metal clay elements without worrying about shrinkage, but I haven't yet done it, so it's wonderful to see how well it works--thank you so much for sharing your process and your beautiful pendants.
Thanks, Amy! Yes, the fine silver bezel wire is an excellent base for supporting metal clay elements. For a perfect fit onto whatever you're using, the key is retarding the shrinkage and paperclay and bezel wire have proved consistent and reliable. Thanks for the taking the time to comment and good luck!
I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised to have came across you while looking up how to use the silver clay. You show so much respect to everything around you as you make such beautiful pieces. From your moment with the Tibetan bowl at the beginning to the stamp sheets, I knew I clicked the channel meant for me to watch 🙏💜 I’m excited to watch your videos now : )
May I please ask-can we place those in a regular oven or use a torch? Also, is the tumbling necessary? I’ve not worked with the silver clay yet so I wanted to get an idea as to if it’s the best fit for me before I purchase.
Thank you again for sharing your craft & years of experience & knowledge with us. I feel so honored to have found your channel 🙏🫶✨
Greetings and thank you for the kind words! I have always fired my metal clay in a kiln, most of the time 1650F for 2 hours. I believe that makes it as strong as possible.
I have never tried to fire the caps with a torch. I think it would be difficult for the clay to sinter (fire completely) with the paperclay core in place. Also, the size of most of my caps do not lend themselves to torch firing. It's just too difficult to keep the whole piece at a temperature to fire completely.
There are small scale kilns that are less expensive and I often see them for sale in places like FB Marketplace, eBay or Craigslist.
Best of luck and thanks again for taking the time to say hello.
Bright blessings to you ... 🙏
@@tendingahandmadelife thank you so much for replying! I didn’t realize a kiln was something that could be purchased 😅 i just assumed it was a very hot like wood fired oven (should have looked it up lol) that makes me excited : ) I’m looking forward to watching your other videos soon. Blessings to you dear 🙏✨
@@sherrxoxoz there's tons of info online for metal clay ... all sorts of tutorials and forums. Best of luck! 🙏
Thank you for showing us your beautiful creative method!! I was wondering if you don't have a kiln could you torch or oven this clay? Maybe put outside in the Texas heat to dry lol.?
Greetings! So glad you enjoyed the video ... unfortunately, these forms need to be kiln fired. I fire mine to 1650F for 2 hours ... I know Texas is hot, but not quite that hot! Because the clay is formed over a core, torch firing is not a viable option. It's just not effective to fully sinter the clay. Hope this helps ... maybe look for a community college or arts center that has a kiln that can be rented or used?
I’ve been trying to figure this out for a while. It’s wonderful you’ve shared your process. Thanks! Bonnie Lee Aldrich Love the look!
Hope it helps! Good luck with your own work! 🙏
I have a crystal I’ll be working on today. I’ve had part of the design for 2-3 years but couldn’t figure how to attach it to that crystal. Finally you’re process will help. I live in rural Sw MI and I am in my retirement years. I love rocks and rough crystals. Working on my skills for a long while now.
@@bonnieleealdrich4999 Excellent! once again, Good Luck!
I just learned so much from 2 of ur videos than I have learned from 20
Браво. Работа и медитация= счастье
спасибо вам !!!
@@tendingahandmadelife 👍🌹
🙏
@@user-kw6cr3wu9k
👍
Loving your videos, your work is beautiful and so organic. I find your tutorials so calming as I'm sure many do. Could I ask you a question? I'm wondering if I can fire just using my blow torch? I want to create silver and copper decorations on my crystals, could I directly stick the clay onto the crystal and fire it..? All the best to you
It wouldn't work to fire with a torch. For the clay to be fully sintered, it needs to be heated to red hot and held there for about 2 minutes. That would be pretty much impossible with the thick bail and paperclay core. Also, the crystals would not survive the firing. it requires specialized equipment, but you might want to look at electroforming. I've also seen people do something with soldering bits onto things with the aid of copper tape, I think it's like a copper foil stained glass technique ... not sure.
I love the mix of textures, beautiful work! Thank you for sharing! If you didn't have a kiln, how long would you fire your cap for? I don't have a kiln yet, hopefully someday..but just starting out.
Thank you! I’m not sure torch firing would fully sinter the metal clay. As I’m sort of production oriented and work in bigger quantities, I’ve never tried it. Also, the paperclay core and firing in 3D make it a challenge. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment. Good luck! 😏🙏
Thank you for sharing! Your video is so calming and inspiring. I wonder if you know anything about this brand of paper clay changing its formulation? I have heard the new formula now burns out, whereas the old was made with volcanic ash and did not burn out.
Thanks so much! I haven’t heard anything about formula changes. These were made with an old batch of paperclay, so all was well. Just bought some new and, while it feels exactly the same while working, I haven’t fired it yet … no clues on the package … really hope the formula is the same.
I absolutely love your designs, and your techniques are fantastic!
May I ask if it would be possible to torch fire the bezels the bezel caps?
Thank you for sharing 😊
Thank you! I have never tried torch firing the caps. Mine tend to be fairly large and I fire them in the kiln at 1650 for two hours. My feeling is it would be difficult to fully sinter the metal clay. I know a lot of folks don’t have a kiln, so I never say never … but maybe do a small test first.
Thank you so much for sharing! Beautiful work!! I just started silversmithing and also took one class with precious metal clay so far. Do any of your videos show the tumbling method and materials you use? Is the resin used to “glue” the crystal to the silver? I guess without it there is a chance that the crystal could fall out? I’m excited to start on some projects soon. Just starting to gather supplies now. Thank you so much!!
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching my little channel! My tumbling method is pretty straightforward ... I use a Lortone 3# rotary tumbler. I run everything first with mixed stainless steel shot, cover with water to about an inch over the media with a drop of dish soap for lubricant. Tumble for an hour or so. Next I patina with liver of sulfur. Then I run everything with an abrasive media, Hone & Highlight, polishing the surface, leaving the dark in the recesses.
Yes, the epoxy is like a glue, just a whole lot more secure.
You can find rotary tumblers and stainless steel shot through various suppliers. Hone & Highlight, here: honeandhighlight.com/ . It's kind of pricey, but I love the satin finish. I use a mix of her large and small media.
Hope this helps! 🙏
@@tendingahandmadelife Thank you so much for responding! I will check it out 😊
@@mckennacreative6133 you are ever so welcome! Good luck!!! 🙏
Who are you? Where can I take your class? You make this magical
Heh heh ... Hi there ... I'm Kathy Van Kleeck and thanks! Afraid I no longer teach workshops, so have turned to RUclips as an option to share some of what I do. You can see more about me and my work here, kathyvankleeck.com/
@@tendingahandmadelife thank you 🙏
@@mariarl3303 you are ever so welcome! 🙏
Since you can no longer buy PMC what type of clay do you use now? Also, do you sell your pieces? If so, what is your shop? Lovely work!! I have a stone that a friend gave me awhile back. She wanted me to cut it up into pieces and make a bracelet. Have you made bracelets before with crystals? Look forward to your reply. Thank you!!
I hate that PMC no longer exists and have switched to ArtClay, not my favorite. I've been buying it on Amazon and paying about 1/3 less than the metal clay retailers. I haven't made any bracelets, just the pendants. Long ago, I wrapped beach glass with thin strips of metal clay and fired in place. Cool thing is the silver fumes the glass and changes the color. It is necessary to anneal the glass in the cooling, but it's a fun application. The fine silver bezel with a paperclay core would definitely work for a bracelet. Good luck!
@@tendingahandmadelifeI do miss PMC too!!!! Ugggh
Tks.
Yep ... soldiering on!
Do you know what tool I need to cut & shape crystals for pendants. For personal use.
Depends on how much you want to alter the crystal. For small things like grinding down bumps or tapering the tops, I use my Foredom tool with diamond burrs. If you want to do more than that, it gets into serious lapidary stuff. There are lapidary saws and flat grinders and a whole host of tools that I don’t own and schools that teach lapidary work. Good luck! 🙏💙
What is the name of the abrasive compound you used? Also, do you put it in the tumbler (the compound). Thank you sooo much for the tutorial of your beautiful bezels.
Hello and thanks so much for watching! The abrasive tumbling media is called Hone & Highlight. There's a link in the video description! Good luck!
Amazing and inspiring work, thank you so much. I was wondering - in the first video, you used a diamond cut off wheel to make a flat top for the stone - are there certain stones that cannot be cut in this way because they are too hard? Thanks for any guidance.
I don't have much in the way of tools and I'm not a skilled lapidary person by any stretch, but I can do a few things as seen in the video and also drilling holes. The stone I was cutting was pretty soft on the hardness scale, but I have done some alterations to harder/quartz based stones (hardness 7). Corundum stones like sapphires and rubies are even harder. Diamond encrusted tools make cutting and altering possible, it just takes patience, time and not too much force. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment ... Good luck!
@@tendingahandmadelife Thank you! I'm so glad to find out I don't need actual lapidary equipment to make some small alterations. I'm gonna give it a try. Have a lovely day and keep the amazing videos coming!
@@wootandhammyYou are ever so welcome! I have a Foredom FlexShaft that I use with various diamond encrusted tools, but a Dremel can work as well. The FlexShaft is more powerful, ergonomic and has a foot pedal. I use diamond drills, core and twist and the diamond cutoff wheel. An inexpensive set of burr grinders is also very useful. Have fun!
Hi Kathy, I cut my first crystals today - thank you for being such an inspiration! I was cutting quartz crystals, seemed like it wore out my diamond cutting discs pretty quick. Do you have a certain kind you use that lasts longer? Or, is that just normal for them to wear out quickly? Also, I am wondering - how long and at what temperature do you fire the caps at? Thank you for any help!
Nevermind about the kiln temp - I found your answer in a comment below :)
Hi Norma! Quartz is up there on the hardness scale and will wear out diamond discs quickly. The only option is to look for more expensive, premium quality discs. Might be worth checking some lapidary suppliers to see if they have any options. I don't do a lot of serious cutting, so my discs seem to last a while. I know there must be better quality ones out there, but I haven't looked.
Can you torch it with the core? To cure the metal clay or would that be a hazard?
Also, your work is Beautiful❤
Thank you! The metal clay elements are fairly large and, trying to maintain consistent heat in 3 dimensions, make it pretty unlikely to fully sinter with just the torch.
Can the caps themselves be torch-fired?
Apologies for just now seeing your comments! 🙏 The cores make it unlikely that they would fire thoroughly and evenly. Best done in a kiln. 😏
What do you coat the “stamps” with?
I've always used a very light coating of olive oil. Good luck!
Do you think this would work with bronze clay,?
Yes! It's been several years and I only made one, but it did work with Fastfire BronzClay.
I wanted to say I also live in a log cabin.
I love that! Lots of makers in the backwoods ... 🙏
Why resin…as opposed to a glue of some sort?
I believe the resin to be stronger than glues. I have very recently switched to an epoxy clay that is much easier to work with and just as strong, Apoxy Clay. I’m hoping to do a follow up video in the near future. 🤞🙏 Aves Apoxie Sculpt - 2 Part Modeling Compound (A & B) - 1 Pound, Natural a.co/d/cYiamVI